Evership - Evership II (2018)

Evership - Evership II (2018)
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Progressive Rock | Atkinsong Productions #192914916598

2nd album from the truly impressive USA Prog Rock band founded by the talented multi-instrumentalist/composer/producer/engineer Shane Atkinson! EVERSHP are a league ahead of much of the new Prog bands we get to hear these days - with influences from the divide that crosses between GENESIS, YES, KANSAS and QUEEN, this band are something SPECIAL! The EVERSHIP sound just oozes quality - The keyboards are melodic and symphonic, yet edgy and dramatic at the same time; the guitars range from powerful to sensitive and the rhythm section - much in the same way as YES - runs the gamut of tight and driving to sensitive and atmospheric. The standard of musicianship is high; the compositions are classy with quality production, ranging through melodic, hook-laden songs with incredible anthemic choruses and gentle ballads, with plenty in the way of bombastic, complex arrangements with extended instrumental arrangements going on in-between.

Atkinson's writing, delivery and production are way up there with the best! The music has all the power and sensitivity dynamics required to pull off a quality Prog album - right from the instantly memorable anthemic choruses of the 'Serious Room' opener to the closing chords of the final 'Awaken' like epic: 'Isle Of The Broken Tree' that closes the album, you know you have just experienced something very powerful Again Beau West's vocals are sensational, as are all of Atkinson's melodic, powerful and atmospheric keyboard arrangements. The guitar work adds an extra edge with the rhythm section tight and driving.

The album opener: 'The Serious Room' somehow has the feel of a powerful Steven Wilson song with its infectious hook and strong chorus backed by an arsenal of Hammond organ sounds and thick walls of Mellotron string and choral backdrops all bonded together with a driving bass-line. Just past five minute-mark in blows a blazing electric guitar solo set high over massed choral textures with the drums splaying right across the soundstage up to the final chorus - A magnificent opener!!

'Monomyth' opens with a powerhouse bass and drum run that is perhaps a bit YES or a bit GENTLE GIANT at times, but none-the-less original. Moog-like keyboard mini-melodies come in and out of the complex, Hammond-filled arrangement, then at the three-minute mark a Mellotron break quietens things down before the intensity starts to rise once more up to the halfway mark. The rhythm section takes the lead over a sea of textural keyboard sounds in an instrumental segment that becomes huge sounding as it approaches the seven-minute point then breaks to let Beau West's vocals back in to deliver a more reflective vocal passage backed by acoustic guitars and string synths. The finale blazes in with on-fire electric guitars slashing here and there over massed keyboards, before finally ending with hot blasts of sizzling synthesizer.

'Real Or Imagined' is initially a gentle piece with an echoed synth lead that brings early CAMEL to mind and then develops into a harmonic song with a haunting, hummed chorus. There is a really nice solo synth section in the middle, then the whole track takes off with more cutting edge electric guitar work backed with Hammond and some Mellotron. The final part reduces in intensity a touch with jangle guitar sounds leading the charge alongside the vocals.

After a super-charged instrumental opening minute, 'Wanderer' becomes a beautifully delicate, melodic ballad that delivers one of the finest, most instant hooks on the album. The track features a sterling heartfelt vocal from Beau West set over swathes of gorgeous textural keyboards and dreamy crystalline synth melodies, then climaxes with a beautifully restrained electric guitar solo, followed by some equally inspired synth solos. This beautifully written, shiver down the spine inducing song provides the perfect platform for this amazing singer to lay his immense vocal talents on display.

'Isle Of The Broken Tree' is 'Evership II's epic track ... Clocking in at over 28 minutes and spread over 6 movements, it opens with the building instrumental symphonic passage that is: 'Castaway' - a track filled with Atkinson's Mellotron choir sounds and strings before settling into: 'Meadow Of Shades' where a deep, but distant bass line is set over tinkling acoustic guitars and distant Hammond chords. At the three-minute mark, Beau West's first vocal delicately emerges, accompanied by additional wistful flute sounds that are interwoven through the acoustic guitar patterns, and at times it's a bit like 'Selling England' style early GENESIS.

'My Father's Friend' sees the strummed acoustic guitars cross-over to create a peaceful, picturesque scene until just past the seven and a half minute mark when a sudden rush of keyboard textures emerges in the form of what sounds like mainly Mellotrons, and the strength of the West's vocal rises to match. Just before the ten minute point we move straight into the: 'Hall Of Visions' where it sounds like a battle is taking place, with sounds of clashing blades and war-mongering voices cast over a driving bass and drums riff. A much more rock-oriented lead vocal and chanting backing vocals are then followed by streams of synth melodies flying high as the work progresses into a more complex passage of play where a screaming guitar soars in over sheets of symphonic keyboards.

Flowing into: 'My Own Worst Enemy', you hear the sound of sweet synthesizer coupled with a rolling piano melody as West's soft and delicate vocal tones flow over gentle, reflective acoustic guitars in this beautifully atmospheric passage. After a fuzzed-up bass segment in the middle, the song gradually builds with a riffing rhythm section and electric guitar, then soaring synths join in to strengthen the sound considerably up to a powerful climax, with YES style harmonic backing vocals over organ, bass & drums completing the picture right at the start of the final movement: 'The Tree And The Door'. More keys (Hammond etc) and multi-layered voices push the song onwards on its anthemic course with the lead guitar busting out into the heavens for the high-flying finale that ends with a massive Mellotron soaked finale that explodes into a huge panoramic view then simply slowly fades away in a mist of distant choral voices, before finally closing with the sound of a jingle-jangle guitar line - All a bit 'Awaken' like ...Wow!

Well, that's it all really ... there's a whole lot to take in on this album, some parts are very much instantly memorable and others definitely need a few listens to digest, absorb and enjoy, but it's all a mighty fine example of an original Prog genius at work! 'Evership II' is released on 26th October 2018.
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Track List:

01. The Serious Room [7:54]
02. Monomyth [10:46]
03. Real or Imagined [8:19]
04. Wanderer [7:44]
05. Isle of the Broken Tree [28:27]

Personnel:
Beau West - Lead Vocals
James Atkinson - Lead Guitars
John Rose - Lead, Rhythm, Classical & Slide Guitars
Shane Atkinson - Keyboards, Drums, Percussion, Vocals, Composer, Arranger, Programming & Production
Ben Young - Bass, Chapman Stick
Special guests:
Joel Grumblatt - Drums (1)
Jesse Hardin - Guitar Solo (1)
Mike Priebe - Backing Vocals
Amelia West - Backing Vocals
The Charles Heimermann Chorale
Orchestra Section:
Allison Cowan
Asa Graham Hartley
Nicelle Priebe
Gracie Staggenborg
Emily Walsh
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